Nigeria’s vision of becoming a hub for automobile innovation gathered momentum as the University of Lagos (UNILAG) handed over a brand-new Nord Motors, made in Nigeria, car to Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.
The minister, who is an alumna of the University of Lagos Faculty of Law, on Wednesday, October 1, officially took delivery of her brand-new official vehicle, made in Nigeria by Nord Automobile and assembled right here at the Nord UNILAG assembly plant.
Oduwole, in her speech, said that having a locally assembled vehicle is a testament to supporting the Nigeria-first initiative of President Bola Tinubu.
“We are committed to supporting Nigerian businesses to scale across the country, the African continent, and beyond,” she said.
The minister noted that the purchase of the UNILAG-assembled automobile would help boost foreign exchange, create jobs, aid the education of youngsters, and research, besides, it would facilitate the transfer of technology.
She emphasised that one of the milestones the President Tinubu’s administration has been able to record in the last two years is the stabilisation of the economy.
She averred that it was for the purpose of promoting the cause of the Renewed Hope Agenda that she chose to celebrate Independence Day by buying a made-in-Nigeria vehicle for official use.
The minister took a tour of the assembly facility of Nord Automobile at UNILAG, as she visited the Nord UNILAG Assembly Plant, research and development section, manufacturing and assembly line workshop, and showroom where completed projects are displayed in an exquisite floor-to-ceiling glass display.
Bola Oboh, deputy vice-chancellor in charge of academics and research at UNILAG, who represented Folasade Ogunsola, the vice-chancellor, noted that the yearly internship opportunity at Nord Automobile is not limited to students in the engineering field but also accommodates UNILAG students in other fields.
“This is indeed made possible by the strategic plan of UNILAG to enter into an agreement with Nord Automobile, where, as part of the University’s MoU with the company, UNILAG students gain valuable knowledge and experience through yearly internships at Nord Automobile,” she explained.
Oboh posited that it was symbolic and prestigious for the university that the minister made her visit on such an auspicious day for such an important and inspiring moment, where she picked her official vehicle assembled not just by Nigerians in Nigeria, but assembled right on the soil of her alma mater, the University of Lagos.
This, the deputy vice-chancellor asserted, will go on to motivate many Nigerians to dream out loud and believe in the limitless possibilities that abound in Nigeria for Nigerians. And the University of Lagos is proud to be a part of it.
The partnership between UNILAG and Nord Motions, established in July 2022, remains the first university-based automobile assembly plant and manufacturing hub in Africa.
This groundbreaking collaboration provides students with hands-on experience in automobile manufacturing, fosters cutting-edge research and development, and extends into emerging technologies such as electric vehicle and drone assembly for commercial and security purposes.
The story of Nord Motion on the Akoka campus illustrates how knowledge, skill, and vision converge to produce enterprises that speak to Nigeria’s limitless potential.
According to the institution, “Presently, Nord Motions can assemble five vehicles at its UNILAG Assembly Plant. Having Nigerian-assembled vehicles come out of the University of Lagos further reinforces the institution’s identity as ‘the university of first choice, and the nation’s pride’.
“This milestone is not only a testament to the nation’s faith in indigenous enterprise but also a glowing endorsement of UNILAG’s pioneering role in bridging academia and industry.”
